Automatically regulated lead-away trough for downspouts



p 1951 L. w. BENCK AUTOMATICALLY REGULATED LEAD-AWAY TROUGH FOR DOWNSPOUTS Filed May 24, 1947 IN I 'EN TOR.

LESLIE W. BENCK ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE AUTOMATICALLY REGULATED LEAD-AWAY TROUGH FOR DOWNS POUTS Leslie William Benck, Moline, Ill.

Application May 24, 1947, Serial No. 750,270

' My present invention relates to improvements in downspouts for use in connection with eaves troughs of buildings, and more particularly to the lead-away trough which disposes of the water carried by the downspout. Among the objects of this invention are the provision of a structure which will automatically remove such a trough from an obstructing position across a sidewalk when the trough is no longer needed for carrying off water; the provision of a structure of the character indicated which will normally occupy a position alongside the downspout and be approximately vertical but which will be lowered into operative positionshortly after a rain begins to fall, so as to carry water descending through the downspout to a position remote from the building foundation; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shown therein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, I desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 illustrates my improvement attached to the lower end of a downspout, the same being in a position to carry off water descending through the downspout; and

Fig. 2 represents the same structure in normal position when there is no rain falling.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete description of this invention. The downspout l is shown as provided with an elbow 2 for directing water away from the building wall, in accordance with common practice. Surrounding the lower end of the elbow 2 is a collar 3 which is provided with a bolt 4 for drawing the collar tightly around the elbow to hold the same in place thereon. This collar has a U-shaped bracket 5 secured to its upper portion, and this bracket has a pivot pin 6 extending through the arms thereof and out through the arms I, each of which has one end extending under or into a flange 8 formed upon each of the longitudinal edges of the leadaway trough 9. The pivot pin 6 may, if desired,

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-9) take the form of a bolt provided with a head at one end and a nut at the other. It serves as a pivot member about which the trough 9 may turn when moving from a vertical position to a horizontal position or vice versa.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 1, a bucket I0 is connected to the arms I by suspending means II at points intermediate between the pivot pin 6 and the lead-away trough 9. On the second ends of the arms 1 are counterbalancing weights l2 which are adjustably secured in positions on the arms by set screws l3 which permit the counterbalancing weights to be nicely adjusted so that when there is no water in the bucket l0, the trough 9 will swing up to the position shown in Fig. 2 and, when the bucket I0 is partly loaded with water, the trough 9 will swing down into position, as shown in Fig. 1. The arms 1 are connected together by a bridge [4 which gives additional rigidity to the supporting structure by which the trough 9 is supported. The bucket I0 is furnished in its bottom with a small opening which permits water to slowly drain out of the bucket so that the counterbalancing weights l2 may raise the trough, after the rain has stopped, from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when there is no rain falling the trough 9 will occupy the position shown in Fig. 2 and then, if rain should fall at a rate such that water accumulates in the bucket ID, the weight thereof will cause the trough 9 to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 when the water will be carried across a walk alongside of a building and away from the foundation thereof. When the water drains out of the bucket l0 so that the weight thereof is insufficient to hold the trough 9 in the down position, as shown in Fig. 1, then the trough will rise to the position shown in Fig. 2, or will move in that direction. Then, when water again accumulates in the bucket W, to the point that the weight is sufficient, the trough will go down to the position shown in Fig. 1 and will carry most of the Water away from the foundation of the building.

It will of course be understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. For use in connection with a downspout, an automatically functioning water-carrying trough and mounting means comprising supporting means to mount the trough pivotally upon an elbow constituting a part of the downspout, the trough being mounted at the lower end of the elbow to receive water therefrom, a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the supporting means, the arms being connected at one end to the trough and extending away from the trough beyond the pivot mounting of said trough, counterbalancing weights attached to the free ends of said arms, and a bucket pivotally connected to the arms between the pivot means and the ends of the arms, said bucket having a slow draining opening for slowly draining water therefrom and being supported ina' position directly below the discharge end of the elbow 'whenthe trough is raised; and being of a size such that the combined weight of the bucket, when filled with water, and the gravity pull of the trough,- when raised, will be sufiicient to cause the trough to be loweredintodischarging position and, when the bucket is not filled, the weight of the counterbalancing weights will cause the trough to be raised. I

2. Drain means for conveying water from an eaves trough to a point remote from a building Wall comprising, in combination, a downspout havingv an elbow adjacent its lower-end-and attached thereto incommunicating relation; 3: supportingba-nd surrounding the discharge end of the elbow, a'p'i'vot pin connected to the band-a pair 'oflever arms oorrnected:- to the pivot pin for pivotal motion thereabout, a' lead-awaytrough connected to one end 'of- 'e'a'ch of said arms-to swing about said pivot pin fromlan approximately horizontal-positionto air approximately vertical position, counterbalanci-n'g weights attached to the second ends of said arms, and arranged to more then counterbalance theweight of said trough, and a bucket-suspended from said arms between the" pivot pin and the trough; said bucket being located directly below-:the'discharge end of the elbow and being provided with a drain opening for permitting slow discharge of- Water-accumulati'ng in 'said'bucket when the trough is ine an elevated position;theweight of the trough and the. bucket filled with waterbeing sufficientv to lower; the trough and the-combinedweight'ofthe trough in lowered position and the'snbs-tantially empty bucket being insuiiieient to keep the trough in lowered position, thecounterbalancing' weights being" of a s'ufiicient mass to hold--the'trough raised when the bucket is substantially empty.

- 3.=-In combination; a down-spout having an elbow at its lower end, lever means mounted pivotally upon the discharge end of the elbow of the downspout, a, water-carrying trough secured to said lever means at a point spaced from the pivot so that it may be raised to a position beside the downspout or lowered into a position with one end below the discharge end of the elbow whereby to carry water delivered through the elbow toa pointremote froma; building =wall, counterbalancing means counterbalancing the "weight of the trough, adjustably attached to the lever-means,- and a bucket connected to the lever -means-between the trough and the pivot and below the discharge end of the elbow so that, when the tr ough is in-elevated position, if water is dis- I charged in sufficient amount through the elbow intoth bucket, the lever and the trough will be caused toI- turn about the pivot into a, position such that the trough is below' the discharge end of the elbow, 1 whereby tocar-ry l Water toa.- point remote from the foundation of the -building,. said REFERENCES. CiTED 'The'fol'lowing'references are of record ini-the' file-'of'this patent:

UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date 725;.451 1 Keller -Apr,.=-14,-. 1903' 740,436 Hunt s "Oct. 6,1903 807,332 Stuart r-Dec'. 12,1905 1,267 ;509 "Brunsvold r 'May 28; v 1918' 

